ABB Wins $330 Million Deal To Supply HVDC Converters For New Hydro In Tajikistan
ABB has won a $330 million contract to supply new high-voltage direct current (HVDC) converters that will enable the efficient transmission of electricity from hydroelectric power plants in Tajikistan to consumers in Pakistan.
The new HVDC converters enable power to be moved from lucrative generation sources in remote areas of Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic into dense population centers in Pakistan where the power is needed, some 800 kilometers away. The new infrastructure is a part of the Central and South Asia power project known as CASA-1000, which will establish critical high voltage transmission linkages between Central and South Asian countries to facilitate electricity trading between the countries along the new 1,300 megawatt (MW), 500 kilovolt (kV) connection.
Tajikistan has the potential to be a significant supplier of renewables for the region, ranking 8th in the world for hydropower potential. Over 90% of the country’s electricity needs are filled with hydro generation today, and the new CASA-1000 linkage allows Tajikistan to sell its excess renewable power to neighboring countries like Pakistan.
The project is being financed by a $330 million order that is partly financed by the World Bank and will be executed as a consortium project with the Spanish Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) company Cobra. Cobra will manage the construction and installation of the ABB equipment and the associated substations.
“ABB’s advanced HVDC solution will bring much needed and clean electricity to consumers and enable the sharing of resources by interconnecting the region,” said Claudio Facchin, president of ABB’s Power Grids division. “This project is another example of our commitment to integrating renewables and reinforces ABB’s position as a partner of choice for enabling a stronger, smarter and greener grid.”
ABB is a leader in HVDC technology since leading the charge into HVDC more than 60 years ago. Since that time, it has won more than 120 HVDC projects for a total installed capacity of more than 130,000 MW, accounting for around half of the global installed base.
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